Meowth and Alolan Meowth Illustration Rares Revealed for 30th Celebration

The Pokémon Company picked a fitting day for this one. To celebrate International Cat Day, four new Meowth cards from the upcoming 30th Celebration expansion have been officially revealed, split between the Kanto form we all know and its Alolan counterpart.

The theme here is day and night, which lines up neatly with the set’s broader identity. If you’ve been following our coverage since the official set reveal back in June, you’ll know 30th Celebration already leans into that duality with its Day and Night Ultra-Premium Collections. These Meowth cards carry the same idea onto the card art itself.

Kanto Meowth: sunny catnaps

The standard Meowth comes from MINAMINAMI Take and shows the Scratch Cat Pokémon enjoying what looks like the most peaceful nap of its life on a bright sunny day. It’s a simple, warm piece that fits the daytime half of the theme.

Then there’s the Illustration Rare by OKUBO, which moves Meowth into an urban setting. It’s still napping, sprawled out on an apartment balcony under a blue sky, but the fun is in the details. Look closely and you’ll spot Alolan Meowth and Galarian Meowth lounging around the scene too.

The card’s set number, 144/128, confirms it sits above the 128-card main set, which is where 30th Celebration puts its special rarities.

Alolan Meowth: night on the town

On the dark side, Natsumi Yoshida illustrated an Alolan Meowth out for an evening stroll against what appears to be an Alola-like background. It’s the tropical cat in its natural habitat.

The Alolan Meowth Illustration Rare, also by OKUBO, is the standout of the batch for me. Alolan Meowth prances along a stairwell railing in the dead of night with an almost smug look on its face, and just like its daytime counterpart, the other regional forms make cameos. Regular Meowth and Galarian Meowth are both shuffling around the scene.

The two OKUBO pieces are clearly companions. Same artist, same urban apartment-block setting, one bathed in daylight and one in deep blues and starlight. They’re going to look great side by side in a binder, and I expect a lot of collectors will chase them as a pair.

Where these fit in the set

30th Celebration releases worldwide on September 16, 2026, the first Pokémon TCG expansion with a simultaneous global launch. Every card in the set is foil, so even the standard Meowth and Alolan Meowth prints will have some shine to them.

These reveals also slot into what we already knew about the set’s Illustration Rare lineup. Official previews have shown Lapras, Drifloon, Lycanroc, and Hisuian Zorua IRs so far, and the leaked ETB set list pointed to a healthy spread of special rarities above the main set. The two OKUBO Meowth cards add to that picture.

If you’re planning to chase these when the set drops, keep an eye on 30th Celebration singles so you can grab the pair without gambling on packs.